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- Producer
- Actress
- Costume Designer
Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, a city in the greater Johannesburg area, in South Africa, the only child of Gerda Theron (née Maritz) and Charles Theron. She was raised on a farm outside the city. Theron is of Afrikaner (Dutch, with some French Huguenot and German) descent, and Afrikaner military figure Danie Theron was her great-great-uncle.
Theron received an education as a ballet dancer and has danced both the "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker". There was not much work for a young actress or dancer in South Africa, so she soon traveled to Europe and the United States, where she got a job at the Joffrey Ballet in New York. She was also able to work as a photo model. However, an injured knee put a halt to her dancing career.
In 1994, her mother bought her a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, and Charlize started visiting all of the agents on Hollywood Boulevard, but without any luck. She went to a bank to cash a check for $500 she received from her mother, and became furious when she learned that the bank would not cash it because it was an out-of-state check. She made a scene and an agent gave her his card, in exchange for learning American English, which she did by watching soap operas on television.
Her first role was in the B-film Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995), a non-speaking part with three seconds of screen time. Her next role was as Helga Svelgen in 2 Days in the Valley (1996), which landed her the role of Tina Powers in That Thing You Do! (1996). Since then, she has starred in movies like The Devil's Advocate (1997), Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Cider House Rules (1999), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) and The Italian Job (2003). On February 29, 2004, she won her first Academy Award, a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Monster (2003).- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Joe Flynn, A.K.A. Johnny Flynn, is an English poet, musician, and actor. He is the son of Eric Flynn, who was an actor who specialized in musicals. As a child, Johnny sang in the Winchester College chapel choir. He knew that he wanted to be a musician after listening to the Bob Dylan record, "Freewheelin,'" when he was eleven years old. Johnny is now the front-man of the English folk band, "Johnny Flynn And The Sussex Witt." His band has released three albums, "A Larum" (2008), "Been Listening" (2010) and "Country Mile" (2013).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Sharlto Copley was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Linda Stocks and Bruce Copley, a former university professor. His childhood dreams of acting were put on hold for many years when his television production company was one of few in his native South Africa granted licensing to create content for broadcast. Rather than acting in front of the camera, Copley found himself the businessman running the production behind the scenes, becoming South Africa's youngest television producer at age 25. It was during this time that he met a then-teen-aged Neill Blomkamp, who worked at Copley's company in exchange for use of the computers to pursue his talent for design. Blomkamp would many years later go on to direct Copley in his star-making debut as nervous bureaucrat Wikus van de Merwe in the Oscar nominated science fiction hit District 9 (2009). Copley followed this by fulfilling another childhood dream, landing the role of H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock in the big screen adaption of the 1980's TV hit The A-Team (2010) and was also directed by Blomkamp once again in the movie Elysium (2013). He now continues to split his time between his native South Africa and Hollywood, pursuing more opportunities in front of and behind the camera.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Sasha Pieterse was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She immigrated over to the United States with her professional dancer parents in 2000. She started acting at the age of four in modeling and commercials and moved to theatrical work starring as "Buffy" in her first TV show, Family Affair (2002) alongside Tim Curry and Gary Cole at the age of six. She went on to star in movies such as The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005), X-Men: First Class (2011) and Good Luck Chuck (2007) and also starred in shows such as House (2004) and Heroes (2006) before landing the role as Alison Dilaurentis in the TV show Pretty Little Liars (2010). While filming her TV show she also starred in movies such as G.B.F. (2013) and as "Japonica Fenway" in Paul Thomas Anderson's G.B.F. (2013) alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Short. The TV series Pretty Little Liars (2010) finished after 7 seasons and since then she continues pursuing her passion for movies and television.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Born and raised in Cape Town South Africa, Brandt immigrated with her family to Auckland, New Zealand in her late teens. Discovered by local casting directors, Brandt took on the role of "Naevia" in the Starz hits, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena." Working with producers Steven S. D Knight and Sam Raimi, she captivated audiences with her performance and became one of the show's breakout stars.
She starred in the hit Netflix series, Lucifer which had a 6 year run, playing the fan favorite Vertigo/DC comic book character, Mazikeen. Lucifer went on the break binge records and was named the top binged show in 2021 by Forbes.
Brandt can next be seen opposite Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira in the 6 episode limited Walking Dead spin-off which airs in 2024. She is also starring opposite Jason Ritter, Anthony Carrigan and Chris Meloni in the adult animated comedy, Captain Fall which airs July 2023 on Netflix.
Lesley-Ann is now permanently based in Los Angeles.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Alice Maud Krige was born on June 28, 1954 in Upington, South Africa where her father, Dr. Louis Krige, worked as a young physician. The Kriges later moved to Port Elizabeth where Alice grew up in what she describes as a "very happy family", a family that also included two brothers (both of whom became physicians) and her mother, Pat, a clinical psychologist. Interestingly, Alice also grew up without television, something which the actress calls a "huge black hole in my education" (South Africa did not start getting television until 1976, a year after Alice left the country to pursue an acting career in London).
While growing up, she had no dreams or aspirations of pursuing an acting career, in fact as a child she had wanted to become a dancer, but her father disapproved. Instead, she prepared to follow in the footsteps of her mother by attending Rhodes University in Grahamstown where she pursued an undergraduate degree in psychology and literature (graduating in 1975). However, as luck or fate would have it, Alice decided to "take up a bit of timetable" by enrolling in a drama class in order to make use of a free credit. This decision would prove to be a life-altering one, resulting in an honors degree in drama from Rhodes, a move to London and a new career path. As Alice explains, "I really got into it and it took over my life... it became my life-calling, all consuming."
After arriving in England, she began three years of study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first professional acting performance was a tiny television role in a 1979 BBC Play for Today. In 1980, Alice made her feature film debut as Sybil Gordon in the Academy Award winning Best Picture, Chariots of Fire (1981). She then appeared in the television adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (1980), which was followed by her memorable, dual role as the avenging spirit in Ghost Story (1981). Also in 1981, she debuted in a West End theatre production of Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man, for which she received the honors of both a Plays and Players Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer. It was this early success in theatre that she decided to focus her career on next by spending some time working with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company.
During her two seasons with the RSC (1982-83), Alice performed in such productions as "King Lear", "The Tempest", "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Cyrano de Bergerac". After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company, she returned to work in film and television. Her career could best be described as an eclectic mix of both mediums. She appeared in a diverse range of films, such as King David (1985), Barfly (1987), Haunted Summer (1988), Spies Inc. (1992) and See You in the Morning (1989). Her work in television included critically acclaimed miniseries, such as Ellis Island (1984) and Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985), as well as a healthy dose of what Alice herself calls, "kitchen sink dramas".
This eclectic trend continued into the 1990s. In addition to numerous roles in television (including appearances on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) and Becker (1998), Alice also appeared in the films Sleepwalkers (1992), Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life (1995), Donor Unknown (1995), Amanda (1996), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), Habitat (1997), The Commissioner (1998) and Molokai (1999). However, one notable standout was the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996) for which she won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Borg Queen. This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film with which she has been involved. However, due to the amount of make-up and prosthetics that the role required, Alice claims that even today she is still most recognized from her role in Ghost Story (1981).
One obvious and lasting impact of her experience with Star Trek: First Contact has been her initiation into the world of Star Trek/sci-fi conventions. These weekend-long conventions take place all over the United States and Europe (primarily in the United Kingdom and Germany). They feature "guests", such as Alice, who give presentations, sign autographs, etc. The new millennium finds her with several new projects to her credit, which include such works as The Little Vampire (2000), the Star Trek: Voyager (1995) series finale "Endgame", Attila (2001), Dinotopia (2002), Reign of Fire (2002), Children of Dune (2003), The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) and a recurring guest role in the HBO series Deadwood (2004). Current projects include a film about the life of Julius Caesar, the horror film Silent Hill (2006), Lonely Hearts (2006) and The Contract (2006). In addition, she continues to make sporadic convention appearances and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from Rhodes University.
Alice Krige is married to writer/director Paul Schoolman, and lives what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her husband maintain a permanent home in the United States, they spend much of their time living and working abroad.- Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
Eva-Jane Willis was born in South Africa to Eileen Willis and film director Ian Gabriel. She moved with her mother and sister to live in North London at age 4. As a child, Eva-Jane trained part-time at Mountview Theatre School where she was spotted by casting agents for the BBC and landed her first minor role in the television series Grange Hill. She went on to gain more screen experience in various adverts and music videos before landing her first leading role in a feature film by iDream productions in 2007. She decided to accept the offer and defer her degree at London Metropolitan University. She completed the film and went on to accept another lead in the feature "Highgate Vampire", alongside actress Vanessa Kirby. However the film's development never progressed beyond the initial pilot. She decided to undertake a professional actor training and auditioned for Drama Centre London where she was offered one of the five female places on the three year BA Acting course. Whilst there she was nominated for the Carlton Hobbs Award and won the first prize Laurence Olivier Bursary Award, for her rendition of Celia in 'The Philanthropist' by Christopher Hampton, and Lady Percy in 'Henry IV: Part 2'.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Born and raised in South Africa, Jodi Balfour spent her early youth working in Cape Town's theatre and television industry. She graduated with a BA (hons) in Theatre & Performance from The University of Cape Town and, after her family moved to the west coast of Canada, began working internationally. Jodi now lives in Los Angeles, California.- Kandyse McClure is a Canadian actress born on March 22, 1980 in Durban in South Africa. She graduated from West Vancouver Secondary School in 1998. She is an actress, known for main roles in TV series Battlestar Galactica (2004), Hemlock Grove (2013), and from the movies Carrie (2002) and Seventh Son (2014).
- Actor
- Producer
Arnold Vosloo was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to stage actor parents, Johanna Petronella Vorster and Johannes J. Daniel Vosloo. He is an Afrikaaner (of mostly Dutch, as well as German, Swiss-German, Danish, and French, descent).
Vosloo quickly established a fine reputation as an actor in his native South Africa, winning several awards there for his theater work, including "More Is 'n Lang Dag", "Don Juan" and "Torch Song Trilogy". A regular performer with South Africa's State Theatre, he also played leading roles in "Savages", "Twelfth Night" and "Hamlet". His film career in the RSA brought him The Dalro Award as Best Actor for both Maneuvers (1984) and Circles in a Forest (1989), and the Dalro Best Actor Nomination for the film version of More Is 'n Lang Dag.
After moving to the United States, he appeared in "Born In The R.S.A." at Chicago's Northlight Theatre and starred with Al Pacino and Sheryl Lee in a Circle In The Square Uptown production of "Salome" (his character's name was "Jokanaan"). The latter running for a total of 18 performances only between June 28, 1992 and July 2, 1992. Vosloo's film credits include Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), John Woo's Hard Target (1993) (produced by James Jacks and Sean Daniel), Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995) and Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996), both directed by Bradford May, and George Miller's Zeus and Roxanne (1997). Equally at home on the television screen, Vosloo appeared in American Gothic (1995) for Fox and Nash Bridges (1996) for CBS.- Louise Barnes was born on 26 April 1974 in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Black Sails (2014), Surviving Evil (2009) and 9-1-1 (2018). She is married to Nick Boraine. They have one child.
- Charlbi Dean was born on 5 February 1990 in Cape Town, South Africa. She was an actress, known for Triangle of Sadness (2022), Spud (2010) and Don't Sleep (2017). She died on 29 August 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Actress
- Editor
A Dutch South African, Musetta Vander was raised without that most basic of modern conveniences--television! Radio programming, childhood books and weekend trips to the drive-in introduced her to the magical world of movies. It was not until the mid-'70s that South Africa finally got television, and the big black box in the family living room "miraculously" sprang to life.
However, as the daughter of a ballet teacher, Musetta was no stranger to the entertainment world and debuted on stage at the age of four. Her childhood was filled with numerous dance performances including "Giselle", "Coppelia", "The Student Prince" and "Showboat", and, shortly after completing school, she qualified as a ballet teacher herself.
After earning a BA in Communications and Psychology, she landed the plum job as anchor host for an MTV-like television show in South Africa. One day, a handsome visiting American, Jeff Celentano, spotted her on television, made her his bride, and whisked her off to the very place she had always dreamed of--Hollywood.
Shortly after her arrival, she became part of the very world she used to host, appearing as the "dream girl" in more than 20 music videos for such top recording artists as Rod Stewart, Amy Grant, Tina Turner, Elton John and Chris Isaak.
It was her critically acclaimed stage performance in the original South African play "Soweto's Burning", about the trials of an interracial friendship in that racially segregated country, that provided her transition to the big screen. Musetta has since performed in numerous feature films, including collaborating with her husband on Under the Hula Moon (1995) and Gunshy (1998). She has also worked alongside such screen veterans as Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh and Will Smith in Wild Wild West (1999), George Clooney and John Turturro in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) and John Hurt and Louis Gossett Jr. in Monolith (1993). She's also added a slew of television credits to her arsenal, including guest appearances on the hit shows Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Stargate SG-1 (1997) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
Recently Musetta made a return to the stage, combining both her dance and acting background in an extremely successful adaptation of Molière's "The Bourgeois Gentleman" at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.- Actor
- Composer
- Director
Troye Sivan Mellet is South African-born YouTuber, actor, model and singer known for his roles in The Spud Franchise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Boy Erased (2018). He moved to Perth, Australia when he was two years old. Troye has two brothers and a sister, and was raised Modern Orthodox. In 2018, his family moved to Melbourne. Troye lives in LA where he has a house. He has over 6.6 million subscribers on YouTube as of October 2018, with videos ranging from song covers to challenge videos to original songs and music videos. One of his earlier videos, a collaboration filmed with fellow YouTube star Tyler Oakley titled 'The Boyfriend Tag' even won a Kid's Choice award in 2014.
Over the past couple of years, Troye has released two EPs, the one in 2014 being TRXYE and the one in 2015 being WILD. His unique blend of electro-pop and smooth melodies have taken him as high as number fifteen on Billboard's Social 50 list, which chronicles the most influential names in music today. Along with WILD and the lead single Talk Me Down off of his new album Blue Neighbourhood which came out on 4 December 2015, he released a trilogy of music videos titled Blue Neighbourhood.
Both of his EPs have debuted at number five on the Billboard Top 200, his album debuting at number seven and he has won several awards for his work, including most recently an EMA.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Neil Sandilands recently starred in Netflix's hit sci-fi/fantasy drama series "Sweet Tooth." Sandilands shines as General Abbot, a self-appointed general who leads through wit, intimidation, and quirkiness and received an Emmy nomination (2023) for his performance.
Recent film titles include "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" (2024), "London Calling" (2023), "Slay" (2023), "Wetiko" (2022) and Academy Nominated "News of the World" (2020) directed by Paul Greengrass. Sandilands stars as Wilhelm Leonberger opposite Tom Hanks.
A master of disguise, Sandilands starred as super villain Clifford Devoe/The Thinker on The CW's hit show "The Flash." Additional television credits include the contentious, mythological character Titus in "The 100" for The CW, AMC/Sundance TV's "Hap and Leonard" (opposite James Purefoy, Michael K. Williams, Christina Hendricks), "House MD," "The Americans" and "NCIS: LA." The list is long as he started his professional career as a child star in 1989.
Born in the mining town of Randfontein, South Africa, Sandilands is arguably one of the country's most versatile actors, bringing characters to life in film and television for over three decades. He started his professional acting career at age fourteen. Sandilands is the eldest of three children, his father worked as a mining professional and his mother as a primary school teacher. He attended boarding school in neighboring town, Krugersdorp, and with the help of an encouraging teacher booked his first television acting gig in "Meester" (The Master) in 1989.
Sandilands received his bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from the Rand Afrikaans University (1996). He also received an honorary award for his contribution to Arts & Culture from the University, having won its Theatre Festival three years consecutively, with plays that he had written and starred in. He also initiated an International Film Festival.
July 2022 saw Neil Sandilands being nominated as best supporting actor by the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) for his work in DAM (Showmax) as well as a South African Music Award (SAMA) for best adult contemporary Afrikaans album for his debut album "Sangoma Sandilands & Jou Pa se Posse - Maanskyn". The music of this album also featured as the soundtrack for M-Net Originals 2022 hit show "Desert Rose" in which Sandilands portrays the troubled patriarch "Freddy Fingers". Sandilands sports local South African Nr1 Radio positions for his Afrikaans tracks "Woestynroos" and "Huistoe".
By 2000 Sandilands was a household name in South Africa. He is well known for his portrayal of "Bart Kruger" in the South African soap opera "7de Laan." However, Sandilands had his sights on an international career, and has made the transition seamlessly. Sandilands crossed the international divide in 2003 with the arthouse film "Proteus" by Canadian director John Greyson. While Sandilands can be seen appearing in projects with a global reach, he still works often in South Africa where he performs in his native tongue, Afrikaans (English is his second language).
As a musician Sandilands released two full length albums and two EP's. His debut album "Sangoma Sandilands & Jou Pa se Posse - Maanskyn" (2021), in his native tongue, Afrikaans, leaped to Number 1 on iTunes South Africa's charts in 24 hours. In 2023 he released "Allegaarkie vir 'n Askeet", his second album. Sandilands views his "work" as musician more as an artistic, literary offering to his country of birth and his native tongue, Afrikaans. It remains his hobby. He collaborated with the cream of South African musicians to produce these albums; writing, composing, performing lead vocals and playing the ukulele.
Accolades for Sandilands include being a recipient of the South African Academy of Arts and Sciences award for his directorial work on "Impresario" - a 21-episode documentary. In 2014 he received a Clio, also as a documentary director. As an actor he has received numerous nominations and awards. Notably a "Fleur du Cap" for his work in theatre.
Sandilands played rugby in South Africa, America, England, Wales and Ireland, and regards the South African Rugby World Cup victory in 2023, for the 4th time, a miraculous anomaly. He enjoys fishing and cites his philosophical development as being most influenced by Camus, Wittgenstein, Deleuze and Nietzsche, in reverse order. He would love to portray Nietzsche or the character Meursault from Camus' "L'Étranger".
Sandilands splits his time between South Africa, and Los Angeles, California. He is represented by Stewart Talent and managed by Luber Roklin Entertainment (USA). In South Africa he is represented by Figjam Artists Agency.
Henry Mylne (director) writes: "Vivid, flamboyant (and) thoroughly professional, he doubtlessly brings an electric excitement to both stage and screen that few actors can match." neilsandilands.com @realsandilands- Director
- Writer
- Visual Effects
Neill Blomkamp is a South African-Canadian film director and screenwriter who is known for the science fiction films District 9, Elysium and Chappie. He also directed the supernatural horror film Demonic and the 2007 short film Halo: Landfall, based on the Microsoft science fiction video game franchise. He had a child from his wife Terri Tatchell.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Glynis Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1971). She was probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999). Johns died in 2024, aged 100, having never received the damehood she had richly deserved for decades. Predeceased by her only son, she was survived by a grandson,Thomas Forwood, and three great-grandchildren.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Daniel Bonjour was born on 28 September 1981 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and writer, known for The Walking Dead (2010), Black Cake (2023) and Point Break (2015). He has been married to Jelly Howie since 19 July 2014. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Tammin Sursok was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Tammin is an actor and producer, known for Pretty Little Liars (2010), Rules of Engagement (2007) and Crossing Over (2009). Tammin has been married to Sean McEwen since 24 August 2011. They have two children.- Actress
- Make-Up Department
Tanit Phoenix was born on 24 September 1980 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Gallowwalkers (2012), Death Race 2 (2010) and Hardcore Henry (2015). She has been married to Sharlto Copley since 15 February 2016. They have one child.- Justin Harvey is a South African actor who is currently active in the Korean film industry. He began his career in Korea as a model and acted in commercials before going on to become a TV personality.
At the age of 31, Justin made his big screen debut in the movie "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One," which was directed by the renowned filmmaker Park Hoon-Jung, known for other works such as "New World", "Night in Paradise", and "I Saw the Devil". Since then, he has become the most active foreign actor in Korea and is currently working on multiple projects.
In addition to his acting skills, Justin Harvey has also demonstrated impressive action chops in his work on "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One." His rugged look, fit build, and martial arts training, complete with a grizzly beard, make him a natural fit for action films, and he has been a sought-after candidate for such roles.
However, Justin is not limiting himself to the action genre. He is interested in exploring dramatic roles and has expressed a desire to work on comedy films as well. Justin has honed his comedic skills over many years in Korean television, where he has gained a reputation as an entertainer with a wide range of talents. Further setting him apart as a versatile actor is Justin's ability to speak fluent English, Afrikaans, and Korean, plus some proficiency in Dutch.
Justin discovered his passion for acting at the age of nine when he participated in school productions and drama classes. In high school, he served as the lead choreographer for the school's annual play. Despite earning an LLb degree in law school, he eventually decided to pursue acting upon arriving in Korea.
Combining his Korean language proficiency with training at a Korean acting school, Justin is aiming to become the lead in a Korean production.
Overall, Justin Harvey is a talented actor who has made a name for himself in the Korean film industry, and his career shows no signs of slowing down. - Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Basil Rathbone was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1892, but three years later his family was forced to flee the country because his father was accused by the Boers of being a British spy at a time when Dutch-British conflicts were leading to the Boer War. The Rathbones escaped to England, where Basil and his two younger siblings, Beatrice and John, were raised. Their mother, Anna Barbara (George), was a violinist, who was born in Grahamstown, South Africa, of British parents, and their father, Edgar Philip Rathbone, was a mining engineer born in Liverpool. From 1906 to 1910 Rathbone attended Repton School, where he was more interested in sports--especially fencing, at which he excelled--than studies, but where he also discovered his interest in the theater. After graduation he planned to pursue acting as a profession, but his father disapproved and suggested that his son try working in business for a year, hoping he would forget about acting. Rathbone accepted his father's suggestion and worked as a clerk for an insurance company--for exactly one year. Then he contacted his cousin Frank Benson, an actor managing a Shakespearean troupe in Stratford-on-Avon.
Rathbone was hired as an actor on the condition that he work his way through the ranks, which he did quite rapidly. Starting in bit parts in 1911, he was playing juvenile leads within two years. In 1915 his career was interrupted by the First World War. During his military service, as a second lieutenant in the Liverpool Scottish 2nd Battalion, he worked in intelligence and received the Military Cross for bravery. In 1919, released from military service, he returned to Stratford-on-Avon and continued with Shakespeare but after a year moved onto the London stage. The year after that he made his first appearance on Broadway and his film debut in the silent Innocent (1921).
For the remainder of the decade Rathbone alternated between the London and New York stages and occasional appearances in films. In 1929 he co-wrote and starred as the title character in a short-running Broadway play called "Judas". Soon afterwards he abandoned his first love, the theater, for a film career. During the 1920s his roles had evolved from the romantic lead to the suave lady-killer to the sinister villain (usually wielding a sword), and Hollywood put him to good use during the 1930s in numerous costume romps, including Captain Blood (1935), David Copperfield (1935), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Anna Karenina (1935), The Last Days of Pompeii (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Tower of London (1939), The Mark of Zorro (1940) and others. Rathbone earned two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1936) and as King Louis XI in If I Were King (1938).
However, it was in 1939 that Rathbone played his best-known and most popular character, Sherlock Holmes, with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, first in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and then in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), which were followed by 12 more films and numerous radio broadcasts over the next seven years.
Feeling that his identification with the character was killing his film career, Rathbone went back to New York and the stage in 1946. The next year he won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Dr. Sloper in the Broadway play "The Heiress," but afterwards found little rewarding stage work. Nevertheless, during the last two decades of his life, Rathbone was a very busy actor, appearing on numerous television shows, primarily drama, variety and game shows; in occasional films, such as Casanova's Big Night (1954), The Court Jester (1955), Tales of Terror (1962) and The Comedy of Terrors (1963); and in his own one-man show, "An Evening with Basil Rathbone", with which he toured the U.S.- Caren was born and raised in Rustenberg, South Africa with her three older siblings. Her family immigrated to New Zealand when she was 12 where she began acting in high school theatre productions. She went on to study Art and Design at University, majoring in animation and illustration. After graduating she returned to theatre briefly and then began working in television and film.
In 2014, Caren was nominated for the Graham Kennedy Award and a Logie Award for her work in Australia.
Her role in Slow West directed by John Mclean, in which she stars opposite Michael Fassbender and Kodi Smith-McPhee, was her international feature film debut. She will also be appearing in Derek Cianfrance's upcoming Light Between Oceans. - Actor
- Casting Department
- Casting Director
Steven is a South African actor best known for his role as Mihawk in the Netflix live action adaption of One Piece - the best-selling manga series in history.
Having completed a Bachelor in Live Performance from AFDA, as well as training with several local and international coaches, Steven has appeared in a number of theatre and film productions including, Barefoot in the Park, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Day We Didn't Meet, and SAFTA award-winning film, From a House on Willow Street.
Making his television debut in the 2010 Amstel Class Act competition, placing 7th in South Africa, Steven has appeared in numerous commercials and is a regular on television screens worldwide, having played characters in local soap operas like Tempi Pushas; and international roles in Strike Back, Syfy's Vagrant Queen, and M-Net's Inconceivable.- Alex McGregor was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Vagrant Queen (2020), Slumber Party Massacre (2021) and Blood Drive (2017).
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Justine Waddell was born on 4 November 1975 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress and producer, known for Target (2011), The Fall (2006) and Chaos (2005).- Actress
- Producer
Cariba Heine is a South African-born Australian actress and dancer born in Johannesburg to parents Michelle, a former showgirl, and Kevin Heine. She moved to Australia at the age of three with her parents and older brother. Her early days included training in jazz, tap, classical ballet, acrobatics and rhythmic gymnastics. She began dancing professionally at the age of 15 though a career-ending hip injury resulted in a shift into acting. Since falling in love with a more literal medium of story-telling, Cariba has continued working both in front and behind cameras and in other creative fields. She still teaches dance and has a strong focus on injury prevention and rehabilitation. In 2018 Cariba wrote, directed and produced her first film 'BEND' which is in post-production.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
This September, rising star actress Thuso Mbedu will be seen as the lead of Sony's The Woman King opposite Viola Davis. In the historical epic feature directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Mbedu plays Nawi, an ambitious recruit who fights within the all-female military unit lead by Nanisca (Davis). The film was shot in Mbedu's home country of South Africa and also stars John Boyega and Lashana Lynch.
Mbedu recently won an Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Award, and Hollywood Critics Association Award, and was nominated for a Critics Choice Award, for her starring role as "Cora" in Barry Jenkins' The Underground Railroad, making her the first South African leading woman of a US television series. The limited series is based on Colson Whitehead's bestselling Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which the Oscar winner Jenkins adapted and directed. For her performance, USA Today called Mbedu the "series' stunning standout, imbuing Cora with a deep humanity and empathy in her every scene, even when she has no dialogue."
An established actress in South Africa, Mbedu was nominated for her second International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in 2018 for her breakout performance on the series Is'Thunzi. She won a SAFTA (South African Film & TV Awards) for Best Actress - TV Drama for her work on the series. That year, she was also featured on the cover of the Forbes Africa "Under 30" issue highlighting African leaders.
Mbedu currently splits her time between Los Angeles and South Africa.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Elon Musk was born on 28 June 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa. He is an actor and producer, known for Machete Kills (2013), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Why Him? (2016). He was previously married to Talulah Riley and Justine Musk.- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
David John Matthews is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record label owner. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Matthews was born in Johannesburg, and moved frequently among South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States while growing up. Matthews started playing acoustic guitar at the age of nine.- Meganne Young was born on 22 March 1990 in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is an actress, known for The Kissing Booth (2018), Black Sails (2014) and Eye in the Sky (2015).
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Elize du Toit was born on 21 February 1980 in Grahamstown, South Africa. She is an actress and director, known for Skyfall (2012), Doctor Who (2005) and The Line of Beauty (2006).- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
John Kani was born on 30 November 1942 in New Brighton, South Africa. He is a writer and actor, known for Black Panther (2018), Captain America: Civil War (2016) and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).- Tanya van Graan was born in South Africa. She is an actress, known for Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018), Zulu (2013) and 24 Hours to Live (2017).
- Kim Engelbrecht was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She is an actress, known for Eye in the Sky (2015), Reyka (2021) and The Flash (2014).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Scottish actor Nicholas Ralph grew up in Nairn in the Highlands. He graduated from the prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formally RSAMD) in 2017. He made his screen debut in 'All Creatures Great and Small' playing protagonist James Herriot. He can also be seen in 'The Devils Light' and 'The Most Reluctant Convert'.- Born in 1983 and raised in Durban, South Africa, Adhir Kalyan moved to London to pursue an acting career. He appeared as a guest star on the BBC series Holby City (1999) and MI-5 (2002). Kalyan's first leading role was in the CW's comedy series Aliens in America (2007), in which he played Raja, a devout Pakistani Muslim exchange student in Medora, Wisconsin, who tried to assimilate to the foreign culture there while staying true to his beliefs.
- Actress
- Producer
Jessica Marais was born on the 29th January 1985 in South Africa and moved to Perth Australia at a young age. Recently she moved to Sydney where she has a TV role as Rachel Rafter in the Australian comedy series Packed to the Rafters. She has also recently appeared in the new Australian film Two Fists One Heart, filmed in Perth in 2007.- Actor
- Cinematographer
Peter is the son of an American mother and English father. He was brought up for the first few years in Botswana before moving to the USA where his father attended Indiana University to train as an opera singer. After his parents divorced in 1981 he lived in Tennessee with his mother but later joined his father in Scotland. He returned to the USA for a period but in 1990 went to live with his father and step mother in London. He attended Mill Hill, a private school in north London and completed his education to sixth form in 1998. Deciding to take a "gap year" in order to follow his desire for an acting career he was successful in breaking into TV commercials and thereafter followed his first steps into the movie business.- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Producer
Shannon Kook was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. His mother is natively South African, and his father is from the Mauritian Islands. He is a classically trained actor from the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada, accepting only 12 acting students a year. Shannon also graduated with the Edna Khubyar Acting Award, a scholarship awarded 'in recognition of exceptional talent and achievement' after a full theatre program.
From there, Kook was cast as a lead in several shows in theatre, immediately performing on the main stage at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton for the world premiere musical of The Forbidden Phoenix as The Monkey King's son. Film and TV proved to be a great fit for Kook, soon doing leads and guest stars he eventually won The ACTRA Award, was selected as a Toronto International Film Festival 'TIFF Rising Star', and received The Reelworld Film Festival Trailblazer Award.
Most recently Shannon can be seen as a Regular on The 100 (The CW), a Supporting in all 3 of The Conjuring (Warner Bros) films, Recurring on Nancy Drew (The CW) and The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+).
Outside of acting Kook spends a lot of his time doing Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu & Kickboxing, all styles of dance from Salsa & Bachata to Hip Hop & Ballet, and behind camera shooting and retouching portrait photography. He speaks Afrikaans, some French and is working on his Mandarin, guitar, and piano.- Actress
- Director
South African born Suanne became a house hold name after working for M.NET television. She moved to Los Angeles and spent many years living and working in the USA. Suanne moved to the UK in 2002 and resides in London. She has worked steadily for over 30 years in film, television and theatre across 3 Continents.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Richard Stanley is the award-winning South African-born filmmaker, who made a name of himself with his first feature film, the sci-fi movie Hardware (1990). A low budget movie about a mad-dog android loose in an apartment was released in 1990. Critics slammed it as a Terminator rip-off, yet the film became a financial success. The 1.5 million dollar budget was paid back quite handsomely and continuation was imminent.
In 1992, Stanley followed Hardware with Dust Devil (1992), a story based on the myth of a Namibian serial killer. A fallout with the distributors led to the re-cutting of the US version, while the bankruptcy of the British-based production company Palace Pictures temporarily shut the post-production down in Europe and the film remained mauled or unfinished, depending how you look at it. Finally Stanley himself managed to finance a new, restored print from the original negative, which has later gained a cult following similar to Hardware.
His third feature was to be The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), an adaptation of the famed H.G. Wells novel. Unfortunately it ended up a victim of creative disputes, leading to him being sacked a few days after production began. The finished film, released in 1996, carries little to no resemblance to the version he was originally set to make, using only about two words of his original script.
This, however, hasn't beaten the visionary filmmaker down and horror movie fans are now waiting for him to come back... with a one mean vengeance.- Glynis Barber was born on 25 October 1955 in South Africa. She is an actress, known for Point Break (2015), Emmerdale Farm (1972) and Blake's 7 (1978). She has been married to Michael Brandon since 18 November 1989. They have one child. She was previously married to Paul Antony-Barber.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Though a native of South Africa, Cecil Kellaway spent many years as an actor, author and director in Australian live theatre until he tried his luck in Hollywood in the 1930s. Finding he could get only gangster bit parts, he got discouraged and returned to Australia. Then William Wyler called and offered him a part in Wuthering Heights (1939). From then on Kellaway was always in demand when the part called for a twinkling, silver-haired leprechaun.- Producer
- Actress
Ruvé McDonough was born in 1966 in South Africa. She is a producer and actress, known for Boon (2022), The Last Rodeo and Homestead (2024). She has been married to Neal McDonough since 1 December 2003. They have five children.- Masali Baduza is a South African film, television and theatre actress, known for The Woman King (2022) and Noughts and Crosses (2020). She grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, then studied in Los Angeles, California. She was born 12 March 1996, in East London, South Africa. She is bilingual in English and isiXhosa.
- Frances Sholto-Douglas is a South African actress born in Cape Town. She trained in acting and musical theatre at the Cape Academy of Performing Arts before attending the University of Cape Town, where she procured an Honours Degree cum laude in Theatre and Performance. She has gained traction through her work in films and television shows such as The Kissing Booth 2 (2020), Black Mirror (2011), and Samson (2018). She has likewise acted in plays such as Zakes Mda's Ways of Dying directed by Lara Foot and Esiseleni Sedini directed by Lwanda Sindaphi. Frances has trained in opera part-time since 2015.
- The character actor Nigel Green, born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1924, was educated in England and studied chemical engineering before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. By age 24, he was appearing on stage at both the Old Vic and Stratford-on-Avon, and in the early 1950s, he made his film and television debuts. In 1956, he received serious injuries in an accident, but he fully recovered and established himself as a familiar figure in British film and television. His forceful, dominant manner inevitably led Green to military and authoritarian roles throughout his career while his tall, muscular physique was appropriate for playing such characters as Fertog "The Bear" in the television series William Tell (1958), Little John in Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), and Hercules in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Green had a number of small film roles in the early 1960s until his appearance in the critically acclaimed Zulu (1964), after which his film roles improved. Perhaps his best-known performance is that of Michael Caine 's superior in the stylish spy film The Ipcress File (1965). In addition to a few British horror films, such as The Skull (1965), The Face of Fu Manchu (1965), and Countess Dracula (1971), Green also appeared in a number of Hollywood films, including Tobruk (1967), The Wrecking Crew (1968) and The Kremlin Letter (1970). Green's later films brought him international recognition and a chance at stardom; however, his career was brought to an abrupt end by his sudden death in 1972 at age 47 from an overdose of sleeping pills. It is unknown if his death was intentional, although Green's family believed it to be accidental. He was separated from his wife at the time of his death.
- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, television host, actor, and political commentator. He is the host of The Daily Show, an American satirical news program on Comedy Central.
Born in Johannesburg, Noah began his career in South Africa in 2002. He had several hosting roles with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and was the runner-up in the fourth season of South Africa's iteration of Strictly Come Dancing in 2008. From 2010 to 2011, he hosted the late-night talk show Tonight with Trevor Noah, which he created and aired on M-Net and DStv.
In 2014, Noah became the Senior International Correspondent for The Daily Show, and in 2015 succeeded long-time host Jon Stewart. His autobiographical comedy book Born a Crime was published in 2016. He hosted the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 and the 64th Annual Grammy Awards edition in 2022.
Noah has won various awards, including an MTV Africa Music Award and a Primetime Emmy Award from eleven nominations. He was named one of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, Time magazine named him one of the hundred most influential people in the world.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The star of the Carry On series of films, Sid James originally came to prominence as sidekick to the ground breaking British comedy actor Tony Hancock, on both radio and then television. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa and named Solomon Joel Cohen, James arrived in England in 1946, second wife in tow, having served with the South African Army during World War 2. By now an aspiring actor, James claimed to have boxed in his youth, perhaps to explain his craggy features, but was certainly a well respected hairdresser in his native country. Known in the trade as "one take James", he became a very talented and professional actor, constantly in demand for small parts in British post-war cinema. In 1960 James debuted in the fourth of the Carry On films, taking the lead role in Carry on Constable (1960) and went on to appear in a further 18 Carry On films as well as various stage and television spin-offs. Reputed not to have got on with Carry On co-star Kenneth Williams, the two often played adversaries on-screen, notably in the historical parodies Carry on Up the Khyber (1968) and Carry on Don't Lose Your Head (1967). James however was respected and revered by almost everyone he worked with and contrary to popular myth, a true gentleman. An addiction to gambling played a large part in James' workaholic schedule and subsequent heart attack in 1967. He was soon back in action however, playing a hospital patient in Carry on Doctor (1967), able to spend most of the film in bed. He suffered a second and fatal heart attack on stage in Sunderland, England on April 26 1976, leaving behind 3 children and his third wife Valerie who had stuck by him despite his affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor, saying, "He always came home to me".